GoI mulls to procure saffron, walnut directly from growers in Jammu and Kashmir

Government of India is mulling to directly procure walnut and saffron from the growers across Kashmir.  The proposed scheme would be on the lines of Market Intervention Scheme (MIS)—launched by the GoI—for apple growers earlier this year.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said at an event in New Delhi that the scheme would ensure that growers get a better price for their yield. “The government has sought help from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to roll out the new scheme,” a NABARD official told Greater Kashmir.

   

“As per directions of the Finance Ministry, modalities arebeing worked out. A team of our officials is scheduled to visit the Valley nextmonth in connection with this proposed scheme,” the NABARD official added.  

“The NABARD has been asked by Finance Ministry to provideground -level facts regarding these agri-products. The ministry has also askedfor figures, such as production quantity and surplus produce of saffron andwalnut. It has also asked for appropriate price bracket which this harvestdeserves,” the official said.

He said the GoI in this proposed market intervention schemewants to also include the apricot grown in Ladakh. “The ministry had alsoproposed to bring peaches under this scheme but we have instead pitched pear(babugosha) to be provided MIS platform,” the official said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the development walnut growers saidif they are offered handsome prices, the proposed scheme can prove to be abreather for the local walnut industry, which is pitted against intensecompetition from imported walnut, especially California walnut and levy ofGoods and Services Tax.

President Dry Fruit Association Kashmir Haji Bahadur Khantold Greater Kashmir that walnut growers who suffered 30-40 percent losses towalnut trees due to recent snowfall “desperately need some sort of governmentsupport.”

“A marketing platform such as MIS can help eradication ofthe middleman so that walnut grower who has been at the receiving end gets agood price for the produce,” Khan said.

Saffron growers said that government support in any form torevive the loss-hit saffron industry must be welcomed. After expecting a bumpercrop this year, growers were hit by season’s first snowfall on 7 November,which caused 40 percent drop in annual production.

 “We were expectingwhopping 200 percent production this year. But our expectations were dashed bythe snow,” said Abdul Majid Wani, president All Saffron Growers Association.

Another grower said the National Saffron Mission launched byGovernment of India in 2010 to rejuvenate the saffron crop has been unableserve its purpose. “The Mission was extended on several occasions butinter-departmental wrangling between Agriculture Department and MechanicalEngineering Department made the National Saffron Mission ineffective,” headded.

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